Does anybody collect wild snails?

avanc

avanc

Aialik..cutest otter in Oregon!!
Nov 7, 2008
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gettin' hot
I was wondering if it was safe to collect snails from my creek for my cold water tank? I always find all sorts of cute lil snails down there and i wanted to put some in with my bluegills....i know they'll probably end up as snacks but as long as it's safe for the fish I think they could use some entertainment, I just don't know if they can carry any diseases to my fish?:confused:
 
You can quarantine them for a while before introducing them. Just be aware of your local wildlife collecting laws.

That being said. I have tried to keep some native snails in the past, but they didnt make the tropical conditions.
 
Those snails are usually Viviparus malleatus. They may be hosts of bird parasites but these parasites don't appear to harm the fish and will remain dormant until a bird swallows the infested snail. I have 16 wild caught vivs I threw to my pond since they're unable to thrive in my tropical to subtropical tanks.:perv:
 
Yeah not to worried about the tank conditions, they're cold water and they come from the same waters as the fish as long as they're safe for them i think I'll give it a try:)
 
I guess it depends on where you live. Trapdoors are certainly very common here in the Northeast, while the native fish keepers I've talked to in the Midwest and South often collect Pleuroceridaes. I'm not sure what the people in the West have, I usually just joke that they have nothing but NZ Mudsnails out there.
 
I'm in the pacific northwest, I've got a book with all of them in it but I'm not sure where it is rite now:read:
 
I collect wild snails with my boyfriend during the warmer months. I keep them quarantined and treat them prophylactically for parasites before introducing them into my tanks. But they do great in tropical and non-tropical conditions... you know, until a fish or crayfish eats them. But they grow and breed pretty well for me, but what I find are some kind of Ramshorn, what's by you may or may not do well. Worth a shot though, I'd think. ^_^
 
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